HERE’S ONE WITH THE FORCE
A rough guide to the first family of Star Wars The new Star Wars movie impresses Yolisa Mkele
In a galaxy far far away, good guys dressed in oldschool clothing are engaged in an ongoing beef with black-clad techno baddies and everything is set to come to a head in the second tranche of the latest Star Wars trilogy, The Last Jedi. When we last encountered this galaxy, in Episode VII: The Force Awakens, the whereabouts of an ageing Luke Skywalker were finally unveiled. Now hero Rey is off to find him for a spot of training. After all, Luke is the Last Jedi. The parallels between Luke’s training of Rey and his time spent at Master Yoda’s School of Force Mastery are a bit on the nose, but it’s fine.
In other parts of the galaxy, Kylo Ren and his First Order goons have their hands around the throat of the rebellion with plans to decisively choke the life out of it. It wouldn’t be a Star Wars movie, however, if the discount Han Solos — Poe and Finn — didn’t have plans to wriggle out of the First Order’s grasp.
The most impressive thing about the movie is its scale and how gorgeously shot it is. Grade 11 visual literacy teachers would give up organs for the chance to grill their students on the symbolism of the red earth that gets uncovered during a climactic battle scene towards the end, or the myriad visual expressions of power in Supreme Commander Snoke’s throne room.
It also fulfils the primary objective of any adventure movie in that it is a wonderfully expressed piece of sheer escapism. Unlike the previous trilogy, it doesn’t get bogged down in political minutiae. Loud crashes, bangs and fights abound but they do not slip into gratuitous Michael Bay territory. The plot is viscous enough to hold your interest yet not so muddy that a trip to the bathroom will leave you confused.
Everything works — but there is just one problem. The ending of the film, and many parts in between, make it as obvious as the scar on Snoke’s face that Disney plans to milk this franchise for every red penny. Star Wars will not end at 10 episodes (including last year’s “standalone” Rogue One). Disney will pump them out as long as the money forest continues to bear fruit. The Last Jedi is a highly entertaining adventure film doomed to be flogged long past the point of absurdity. For now though, the force is with this one.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is now on circuit.